Sunny Afternoon
by MiyuWrites
Summary: Gray and Natsu have a picnic. Oneshot. Gift to mdelpin.


**A/N:** Title comes from Red Velvet's song by the same name.

* * *

**Sunny Afternoon**

The wind was blowing gently as Gray walked down the grassy path. He was almost at the meeting point.

The ice mage walked faster as he noticed the person lying down in the large yellow blanket that was at what looked like the top of one of the gentle slopes that surrounded the river.

Gray's hand tightened slightly on the handle of the basket he was carrying. A smile tilted the corners of his lips. He finally reached the blanket.

Gray placed the basket on the edge of the blanket, removed his shoes and, carefully, sat beside Natsu.

The fire mage scrunched his face slightly, mumbled unintelligible words before settling down again.

The whole thing made warmth blossom on his chest. It was good to see the fire mage looking so relaxed, with his walls down, no worries.

Gray leaned back, resting on his elbows as he looked around, trying to imprint this moment into his memories.

The blue sky, reflected on the silvery water, the colourful flowers sprouting among the green, the gentle breeze that ruffled their hairs, lowering the temperature a little at the same time that the sun shone brightly overhead.

Gray let himself fall back onto the blanket, he turned his head to look at Natsu.

He knew that Natsu would always be by his side.

Gray noticed then that the fire mage was looking back. A sleepy, content smile was being directed at him.

A strange urge seemed to rise from the depths of his being but Gray pushed it down at the same time that he rolled to his side.

"Did you finally wake up, Sakura?"

Natsu sat up and threw him a reproachful glare before yawning deeply.

"Shut up!" the fire mage retorted. "You're so slow that I fell asleep while waiting for you. And don't call me that!"

"I was so slow because a certain someone eats way too much and so the basket is full and very heavy." Gray punched Natsu's arm playfully.

Natsu puffed his cheeks and looked to the side. Pouting.

"And, speaking of food… how about we have our meal now?" Gray turned to grab the basket.

"Let's eat!" Natsu exclaimed, excitement oozing off him.

Gray snickered at his antics but started taking food from the basket.

Natsu's smile seemed to brighten and that, in turn, warmed Gray, uncharacteristically.

* * *

That warm and bright afternoon was, sadly, from past times.

Now Gray was watching Natsu sleeping but the happy and peaceful feeling from before didn't reach him. On the contrary, there was only sadness and emptiness inside him.

The whole world seemed to have been tinged with grey. Even the sunlight streaming through the window seemed pale and weak. No longer radiant and warm.

Of course that the most noticeable loss was Natsu.

The fire mage lay in a bed in one of the rooms contiguous to the guild's infirmary.

He was sleeping. Had been for over a week already.

And there was no explanation for it; they had no idea about what had happened.

The team had returned from a mission, were having dinner at the guild and, as the meal reached its end, Natsu had succumbed suddenly.

He fell on his plate, even knocked the small pile of dishes that were on his side over. The dishes crashed all over him but he didn't even twitch.

They tried to wake him, to find a reason for this situation.

But no answer arose.

Then they'd moved him to the infirmary.

The whole guild felt the loss. Happy was inconsolable and almost never left his bedside.

And the same went for Gray. He spent his free time sitting beside Natsu's bed, sometimes grumbling about the uncomfortable chair.

That always served as a small distraction.

The pale complexion of the fire mage, robbed of all that golden than that reflected the fire mage's inner warmth, remained expressionless, neutral.

To abstract himself from the current situation, Gray more often than not ended up daydreaming about that picnic. It was almost as if Gray had felt the need to impress that memory in his mind for this case. That one last moment of peacefulness and happiness they'd shared before everything changed.

Not that everything had changed for the worst, admittedly. But, in this precise moment it all seemed a little hopeless.

"Did you finally wake up, Sakura?"

Gray repeated the words of that day, holding Natsu's hand and his thumb running in small circles over the back of the fire mage's hand. At first there was no reaction but then, the hand in Gray's grasp squeezed slightly.

Gray's eyes widened in shock, as his neck whipped to Natsu's face.

He was waking – Natsu was waking _up_!

"-old y'e t'not call me that, 'ready." The words were said in a gravely, clearly unused voice.

Gray took a moment to give Natsu's hand a reassuring squeeze before hurrying to get a glass of water for him. He also helped Natsu drink it.

"You're awake!" Gray stated in a slightly disbelieving voice.

Natsu yawned before looking at Gray, in slight confusion.

"Of course I am, ice brain."

In that precise moment Happy burst through the door and flew into Natsu's arms, crying and babbling in happiness. Soon enough more of their guildmates started entering the room and Gray, for the moment, went to stand by the window.

At least the sun seemed to be shining brightly once more.

All because the dumbass fire mage had woken up again.

Things would be going back to normal soon.

* * *

Gray was tired.

But, he was definitely happy to be home earlier than predicted.

Absentmindedly, as he closed the door, he wondered if Natsu had already gotten back from his mission with Lucy.

He got his answer as soon as he stepped further inside their shared house.

Natsu was sleeping, curled up with Happy in the corner that Gray had jokingly called the "cat corner". But, in the end, both mages had made sure to make said corner a comfortable space. And Natsu had taken to nap in there. In those moments – and when Gray sneaked a peek – Natsu was like a cat that slept stretched on a strip of sunlight.

Gray sat down beside Natsu. The fire mage woke up briefly, saw him and extended his hand before he settled his head back down onto a pillow.

Gray held his hand and squeezed. Then he lay down beside Natsu, and fell asleep.

This was how they were until sunset, napping and enjoying another sunny afternoon together.

They knew that there were plenty more for them to enjoy, still.

* * *

**A/N:** Happy anniversary of writing, my dear mdelpin!

As you know, I'm very happy about still having you around and writing (your bunnies will increase again, mark my words!) and so of course that I had to write you something.  
I hope you enjoyed this little piece (that smidge of angst came from nowhere, I guess it was your influence xD) even if a little belated. I told you that I would use that thing we talked about. ;)  
This story is unbetaed.  
Thanks for reading! :D


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